1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to emulsion breaking agents for use on oil/water emulsions and more specifically to a cationic quarternary ammonium modified blend of a starch and a natural gum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The preparation of cationic starch quarternary ammonium ethers is well known in the art. They may be synthesized by reacting starch and, e.g., a quarternary halohydrin salt with an alkali. The procedure used to synthesize a quarternary starch combination is disclosed in "Starch: Chemistry and Technology," Whistler, R. L. and Paschall, E. F. eds. Chapter 16, Production and uses of Cationic Starches, by Paschall E. F. (1967). U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,600 (Tutein et al) further illustrates the use of cationic starches as demulsifiers for breaking oil/water and water/oil emulsions. Applicable starches disclosed therein include corn, potato, tapioca, sago, rice, wheat, waxy maize, grain sorghum, grain starches in raw or modified forms, e.g. modified with acid, oxidizing agent and the like; to amylose and amylopectin; and to the linear and branched components respectively, of corn starch; and also to dextrin. The quarternary ammonium starches consist of a starch group and a quarternary ammonium group. The degree of substitution of these products is within the range of about 0.01 to 0.75 quarternary units per anhydroglucose unit in the starch group.